Musical Chairs

One or more current Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board members could be left without a chair at the planning board dais.

At its Monday regular workshop, the Town Commission reached unanimous consensus to whittle down the planning board from nine members to seven. 

The decision was made after much discussion the past couple of years by both the commission and the planning board, which has been described as “unwieldy” in its current form. 

“Everyone I talk to on P&Z, those who currently serve and those who have served, all feel it should be reduced to a lesser number,” said Mayor Jack Duncan. “It’s unwieldy to get nine people working together.”

Commissioner Jack Daly, who resigned from the planning board last month after his election to the commission, said the last three years of the board have had too many subcommittees. 

“They were formed, in part, because it was more difficult to have nine of us come to a consensus,” Daly said. “I’m not sure that’s the right approach.”

Commissioners Pat Zunz and Phill Younger, who also served on the planning board, also agree with the reduction to seven members. 

“I find it interesting all three of us (former members) are in favor of a reduction,” Younger said. 

The commission will also create term limits for the seven planning board seats. When the board is reshaped in June, those members will agree to a term limit of two, three-year terms for a term limit of six years of total service. 

“There are times when you might decide to put someone else on the board and it gets difficult to remove them,” Younger said. “Term limits help alleviate that.”

Some planning board members, though, expressed disdain for the term limit requirement when Town Attorney Maggie Mooney-Portale informed them of the commission’s decision at their Tuesday morning meeting. 

“It sounds like they don’t particularly want experience,” said planning board member George Symanski Jr. “I’ve been up here more than 10 years, so it sounds like I shouldn’t even reapply. The message seems contradictory and it’s hard not to take personally.”

Planning Board Chairman Allen Hixon expressed concern for “a loss of institutional knowledge” on the board that comes with term limits.

Planning, Zoning and Building Director Alaina Ray informed the board that it has a joint meeting with the Town Commission at 9 a.m. May 19, to discuss issues and review a list of revamped future zoning code categories.

But Symanski suggested the commission hold off on the meeting until the new seven-member board is seated in June.

“It seems like a waste of time,” Symanski said. “They want fresh blood.”

Not all members are considering leaving the board,  though. 

Planning board members Andrew Aitken, Leonard Garner and John Wild have already reapplied. And members B.J. Bishop  and Kenneth Schneier plan to reapply.

“I haven’t heard any evidence the commission wants to change the makeup of the board,” Schneier said. “If there’s one more shot at giving an injection of institutional memory for this board, we should suit up and do that. If we’re on in June, fine. If not, fine.”

Hixon, Symanski and planning member Walter Hackett are still mulling over reapplying. 

Former Mayor Jim Brown has also applied for a planning seat.

The commission will extend the terms of three board members whom have terms set to expire in May until the new board is formed. 

“Everyone I talk to on P&Z, those who currently serve and those who have served, all feel it should be reduced to a lesser number. It’s unwieldy to get nine people working together.”

– Jack Duncan, Mayor